Higgins: Crucible battles set to be the greatest ever

Four-time world champ John Higgins

John Higgins believes this year’s World Championship could be the greatest of all time.

An extended break in the calendar due to coronavirus has given plenty of potters extra time to practise.

And four-time world champion Higgins expects the standard to exceed levels ever seen before at the Crucible between July 31 and August 16.

“This will probably surpass any tournament with the standard you will see,” said Higgins.

“I’m sure everybody will be a lot more prepared coming to this World Championship. They will be ready for it and it could be great.

“Mentally people will be giving it extra because the event could have been taken away from them. Everyone will be sharp as a tack.

“The World Championship takes care of itself. It always has done. Whatever has happened during the whole year, everyone gives it that bit extra.

“It is the biggest tournament and you just give everything for it.”

And Higgins, a beaten world finalist for the last three seasons in a row, has predicted there could be more big breaks than ever before.

Graeme Dott

“It could break all the records in terms of centuries,” stressed Higgins. “I definitely think there will be a maximum-147 scored.

“There are only a select few players that have made one at the Crucible before. I think the whole situation and the crowd gets on top of you normally in Sheffield.

“But I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t one, or maybe even two, this year.”

Higgins and compatriot Stephen Maguire are guaranteed a place in the first round of this year’s event by virtue of their top-16 ranking status.

But fellow Scots Graeme Dott, Alan Mcmanus, Scott Donaldson, Anthony Mcgill, Eden Sharav, Fraser Patrick and Ross Muir must all go through qualifying, which runs from the 21st to the 28th of this month at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport.